Saturday, December 24, 2016

The Evil Dead – Possessing Souls 35 Years Later

“I know now that my wife has become host to a Kandarian demon. I fear that the only way to stop those possessed by the spirits of the book is through the act of… bodily dismemberment…” speaks a recording, setting the tone for a long and eerie night for a few young adults on spring break. The torturous events they encounter thereafter opens up a world of darkness and pure evil in the low budget 1981 Horror flick known famously to all as The Evil Dead.

In a cabin in the woods of the Tennessee mountains, Ash, (Bruce Campbell: Army of Darkness 1992, Ash vs Evil Dead TV series) his girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker: 2084 2009, Lake Eerie 2016), Ash’s sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss: Satan’s Playground 2006, Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series), their friend Scotty (Richard DeManincor: Crimewave 1985, Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series), and Scott’s girlfriend Shelly (Sarah York: Oz the Great and Powerful 2013, Dangerous Women TV series) celebrate their spring break when they come across an old reel to reel player in a cellar. Curious, they play it (American Movie Classics host Bob Dorian was the voice), and it tells of the finding of the Book of the Dead. Suddenly, the tape fast forwards, and stops on incantations. Can the group figure out how to stop the spirits set free before they are all possessed, or are they doomed to be one of the damned?

Friends from high school, Director Sam Raimi and first time Lead Actor Campbell set out to make their first movie in their college years, which would eventually hold the title The Evil Dead, an iconic movie of the Horror industry recognized today. With its mix of Dark Comedy and extreme gore, The Evil Dead became a must-see. Initially premiering in a small amount of theaters on October 15, 1981, word of mouth spread rapidly and The Evil Dead took off like a demon possessed. One of a kind and so over the top, it has since become a legendary favorite still celebrated 35 years later.